This invention relates to a dust pan for collecting a mixture of materials from a flat or contoured surface. The preferred embodiments of the invention show an improved dust pan which includes a body member having a recess disposed therein for receiving the mixture, said recess having an entryway comprising a leading contact edge extending from a bottom wall, wherein the improvement comprises the leading contact edge being flexibly movable between a concave aspect relative to said recess when extraneously unbiased and a substantially straight aspect when biased by pressable contact with the flat surface, so that a sealing contact may be made between the leading contact edge of the duct pan and the flat surface to be cleaned to facilitate collection of the mixture of materials from the flat surface.
In another embodiment of the improved dust pan with a body member having a bottom wall with a leading contact edge and a rear trailing portion with a pair of upstanding side walls that extend, respectively, from an end of the leading contact edge, the improvement comprises the bottom wall being flexibly movable between an outwardly concave shape when extraneously unbiased and a substantially flat shape when biased by pressable contact with the flat surface to be cleaned, whereby, a sealing contact may be made between the bottom wall of the duct pan and the flat surface to be cleaned to facilitate collection of the mixture of materials from the flat surface.
The foregoing improvements, as well as others detailed hereinafter, enhance the prior art as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 304,107.
Alternative dust pan technology can be found in U.S. Design Pat. No. 265,541 issued in 1982 to Messenger et.al.; U.S. Pat. No. 57,649 for a sink scraper issued in 1921 to Hines; U.S. Pat. No. 593,299 for a dustpan issued in 1897 to Deklin; and U.S. Design Pat. No. 347,915 issued to Berti in 1994 for a dustpan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,734 issued in 1987 discloses a dustpan having a flexible bottom surface flexibly adapted to conform to the surface being cleaned which, however, does not teach the attachment of such flexible surface to upstanding side walls to protect against lateral disbursement of collected materials. However, this design will not hold liquids.
To alleviate this problem, and others which will become apparent from the disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently teaches the use of a flexible bottom surface in a dust pan configuration. Such flexible bottom surface is further taught to attach to upstanding side walls which convey pressure forces from the handle and protect against lateral disbursement of collected materials.
Another advantage is having an ergonometric handle uniquely positioned to facilitate contact between the leading edge and the surface to be cleaned which has not been taught or described previously.
These together with other objectives of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
Still other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure that follows.